Print management system providing documents with plural users identifications

ABSTRACT

A print management system may include at least one client device for generating print jobs, and a plurality of print servers for storing print job information based upon the generated print jobs. The print servers may cooperate to share the print job information therebetween. At least one printing station may retrieve the shared print job information, and selectively print print jobs based thereon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/947,472, filed on Jul. 2, 2007, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to document processing and reproductionsystems, and, more particularly, to document print management systemsand related methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Printing in a network environment typically involves selecting a networkprinter from a network computer and directing the printing of a documentto the selected printer. The document is sent to the selected printer,where it may wait in a queue behind other documents awaiting printing.

In a variation on this theme, U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,832 describes a systemin which documents rendered for printing are maintained on a printspooler. A print polling device may remotely access the print spooler.Under certain circumstances, the print polling device can receivedocuments from the spooler for printing on a printer connected with thepolling device.

Many modern networks feature combinations of local area networks (LANs)connected by one or more wide area networks (WANs). Such networks oftenfeature multiple print servers, each of which may be associated withmultiple printers, computer, workstations and the like. In such anetwork environment, systems such as the one described above may notprovide desired capabilities or operational flexibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide an improved print management system andrelated methods.

This and other objects, features, and advantages are provided by a printmanagement system which may include at least one client device forgenerating print jobs, and a plurality of print servers for storingprint job information based upon the generated print jobs. The printservers may cooperate to share the print job information therebetween.At least one printing station may retrieve the shared print jobinformation, and selectively prints print jobs based thereon.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the print jobs may beassociated with a plurality of users, and the at least one printingstation may retrieve shared print job information for at least oneselected user.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the system mayfurther include a user interface, and a plurality of local area networks(LANs). The at least one printing station may retrieve the shared printjob information based upon user input received by said user interface.The print servers may be associated with respective LANs, for example.

A print management method aspect may include generating a plurality ofprint jobs, storing print job information based upon the generated printjobs on at least one of a plurality of print servers, and sharing theprint job information between the plurality of servers. The print jobinformation may be communicated to at least one print station, andselectively printed based on the communicated print job information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an MFD-based CRL list authenticationoperation in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of domain controller authentication process inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a print management system in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a typical prior art print process.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a print process requiring userauthentication at a printing station in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a print process where the user generates aprint job from one location and retrieves the print job from a differentlocation in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a print process where the user generatesprint jobs from a plurality of different locations and retrieves theprint job from one or more locations.

FIGS. 8-10 are screen prints illustrating the user document retrievalprocess at a user interface associated with a printing station inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of the MFD-based CRL list authenticationoperation in greater detail.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of the domain controller authenticationprocess of FIG. 2 in greater detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used toindicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a print management system 30 isdescribed herein in which users 31 generate print jobs from clientdevices 32, such as a computer/workstation (e.g., a personal computer(PC)) connected together in a local area network(s) 51 (see FIG. 6), andthe jobs are stored in a queue (e.g., on a network print sever, aWeb/Internet server, or a local computer/workstation), file system, orother media retention system, until the user properly identifies himselfat a printing station 35 connected to the network to initiate printingof the job. As used herein, “print job” is not limited to a particularelectronic format, such a bitmap, but can include any suitable formatincluding PDF, word processor formats, rich text (RTF), etc., as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

In accordance with one example referred to herein as the “Print here”system, users 31 are authenticated through a user interface 39associated with a printing station 35 (e.g., a printer, multi-functiondevice (MFD), fax machine, etc.) for the Print here function. The user31 selects a function from the printing station 35. The user identifieshimself with an identity token (e.g., a smart card 40 (FIG. 3) insertedin a smart card reader, or other interfacing system), or may be promptedto do so. Once the identity token is detected, the user may be promptedfor a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the user. ThePIN may be verified with the token. After the PIN is verified, acertificate for the user 31 may be retrieved from the token. Of course,it should be noted that other security measures and/or combinationsthereof may be used instead of or with a security token and PIN, such asbiometrics (e.g., fingerprints, retinal scans, voiceprints, etc.)

There are various ways the certificate may be validated. One is anactive directory authentication method, which is illustrated in FIG. 2.Here, the MFD will use public key cryptography (or other suitablecryptography algorithms) for initial authentication in the Kerberos(PKINIT) protocol. In this protocol, the user's certificate is sent to adomain controller 37′ where it is verified with a root CertificateAuthority (CA) certificate revocation list (CRL). Furthermore, thedomain controller 37′ issues a challenge to the MFD 35′, and the MFDgenerates a response using the smart card. The domain controller 37′tells the MFD 35′ if the user 31′ is authenticated.

An alternative authentication method is MFD authentication. Here, theMFD 35 will include the root CA certificate. This will be used to verifythat the certificate on the smart card, etc. was signed by an issuing orauthentic source. The MFD will periodically retrieve a CRL from a CRLserver 36. The CRL will be used to make sure the certificate has notbeen revoked by the issuer/authentication source. The MFD 35 then issuesa challenge to the security token to verify the certificate actuallybelongs to the card. An MFD CRL list may be stored in a database 38, forexample.

After the certificate is validated, the personal identification (PID) isretrieved from the certificate's subject domain name (subjectDN). By wayof example, the PID may be a user name (e.g., jsmith), etc., that isrecognized by a particular domain or network. For Print here, the PIDcan be used to identify the user to a Pharos central print server 50(FIG. 3) so the user's jobs can be printed or deleted. The systems 30,30′ may use IP security (IPsec), as will be appreciated by those skilledin the art. This will provide secure transmission between all of thedevices using industry standard encryption algorithms, for example. TheMFD-based CRL list authentication process flow is shown in FIG. 1.Moreover, domain controller authentication is illustrated in the processflow of FIG. 2.

Users may send a print job to their Print here queue on their localprint server and then collect their print job from different MFDmachines connected to the network IT Platform. If multiple print servers34 are used in the system, as will be discussed further below, a user 31will be able to print to any one of those servers and still collectthose print jobs from another print station 35 in the system, even atdifferent locations or sites that are connected by the Web/Internet,other wide area network (WAN), etc. The user interface 39 associatedwith the print station allows the user 31 to manage his currently openprint jobs. They can delete print jobs that are not required or printindividual jobs or all jobs, and optionally change print attributes, forexample.

Moreover, an administrator may centrally set the length of time printjobs are maintained before they are deleted from the print servers 34.It is possible to create a uniform image for each of the network printservers in use for remote management. The Print here system may beimplemented in a flexible architecture that can be expanded to controladditional MFD functions if necessary.

Print here jobs may also be held local to the user's location. Jobs willonly be sent across the network from the print servers 34 directly tothe selected print devices when a user 31 requests a job printed usingthe Print here function on the MFD, potentially reducing the amount ofnetwork traffic required. The Print here central serve function can beexpanded to support user-based tracking of output, if desired. Use ofthe Print here system may also encourage users to delete unnecessaryjobs before they are committed to hardcopy, saving time and reducing thecost of wasted output.

The system 30 provides redundant reliability so that end users 31 willhave access to pick up their printing from a different number of networkdevices, creating output redundancy around inoperative output devices.The Pharos Print here central server 50 supports active/passiveclustering to handle failover. Alternately, other failover handlingtechniques, such as virtual systems, could be employed. Additionally,the system design has redundancy built into it to reduce and eliminatesingle points of failure. Thus, the system is designed to “degradegracefully” in the event of multiple server loss, preserving local queueprinting even if remote network links are interrupted.

For additional security and privacy, printing to the central queue maybe requested and made available through authentication, if desired.Thus, print jobs will not be openly available at network printers,providing improved security and privacy for printed documents.

Additional process/architecture details and examples will now bedescribed with reference to FIG. 3. Each user 31 may automatically beadded to the Pharos database, which may be maintained at the printserver(s) 34 and/or central server 50, for example, at the time of firstusage using the PID passed to Pharos during the token (i.e., smart card)authentication. The PID will be used as the user's ID, and any requiredconfiguration will be performed when the user is created in the Pharosdatabase, or when user information is refreshed or updated. Ifadditional user information is required for the user configuration, thena query to an active directory server 41 can be made to gather thisinformation. This process typically need only occur after the first timea user is authenticated, and the authentication occurs before the PID ispassed to the Pharos database. No authentication need be performed bythe Pharos database other than to ensure that a user with theappropriate PID exists in the database, although further authenticationmay be possible in some embodiments.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, on each network printserver 34 a Pharos collector service (PCS) is installed (e.g., asoftware application). However, the PCS need not be installed on printservers 34 in all embodiments, i.e., it could be installed on one ormore client workstations 32 or other computers connected to the network,for example. By way of example, the PCS service may perform one or moreof the following tasks:

-   -   (1) Operating as an agent that collects information on jobs for        redirection. This service collects and stores information about        the user and where jobs are stored at the time of job print        submission;    -   (2) Contacting the Pharos central server/database 50 and        relaying user and server information to the Pharos central        server about a user job submission;    -   (3) Querying the Pharos central server 50 for user information        when prompted by an MFD it services;    -   (4) Querying “peer” servers about jobs found to contain jobs for        the requesting user and stores it on a local cache; and    -   (5) Requesting “peer” servers to release jobs to a particular        MFD.

It should also be noted that by installing PCS on local clientworkstations 32, the need for a centralized print queue may be reducedor eliminated in some embodiments. That is, a central PCS for a givenlocal network (which could be on a workstation or server) may keep trackof the pending print jobs for users in that locale and where those jobsare stored. The central PCS could therefore manage the print process,and also communicate with other central PCS' from remote networks, toprint documents from local client workstations 32 directly to a givenMFD when the user presents himself there for authentication to initiatethe printing process, and without requiring a central storage area forspooled print files.

The Pharos Print here solution may be based on a multi-tier architecturethat leverages desired results for a majority of print transactions bykeeping the print jobs local to a user's location. Jobs are sent acrossthe network from the print servers 34 directly to the selected printdevices when a user submits a job to print using the Print here functionon the MFD. This may advantageously reduce network traffic, as notedabove. For security and optimization purposes, print jobs may also betransmitted through alternate paths and print servers.

A variety of scenarios that users may encounter when using the Printhere system are shown in the process flow diagrams of FIGS. 4-7. Thesefigures demonstrate the capabilities of Print here in a variety ofcircumstances. The standard Windows client print processes and printdrivers advantageously need not be replaced nor altered, thus allowingsupport to be maintained and standard OEM drivers and print processes tofunction as designed.

The local versus global architecture is transparent to the user, soadditional training typically need not be offered for traveling users,for example. Should there be a WAN failure with the Pharos centralserver 50, local users can still advantageously print and retrieve jobson the local print server. Actions in each of the Print here diagramsare numbered and described by sequential numbering for each action. Itwill appreciated that the present invention is not necessarily limitedto the enumerated operations or the order thereof.

When a print server with PCS receives a job, user information and printserver information are stored in a local database and formatted in asmall packet then forwarded to the Pharos central server, for example.The Pharos central server 50 adds that information to a company-widedatabase. When a user initiates the retrieval process at an MFD, thelocal print server 34 is queried and the query is rebroadcast to thePharos central server 50. If the Pharos central server 50 is available,a query will be processed by the central server looking for the discreteuser 31. Should the user be found, a list of servers 34 will be returnedto the requesting server. This information is cached at the requestingserver. The requesting local server 34 will then query “peer” serversfor the lists of job names on each to build the print list at the MFD.If the Pharos central server 50 is not be available subsequent to thequery, and the user requests a release of jobs from an MFD serviced bythat print server 34, jobs residing on “peer” print servers will stillbe retrieved. This architecture may advantageously provide a “higheruptime” benefit than many other print distribution systems.

In accordance with a first user scenario, a user 31 may print a jobusing “direct print” functionality in which a user can choose to printhis jobs using the Print here function or not. FIG. 4 illustrates asituation for a user who is not using any Print here functions. In ascenario illustrated in FIG. 5, the user authenticates to a workstation32, picks the Print here print object, and sends a print job to thequeue. The user next approaches the MFD 35 and authenticates to thedevice. A list of jobs held in queue are presented on the LCD screen(not shown) available for release to the MFD 35. The user 31 selectsjobs to be printed or deleted on the touch screen and then executes theprint release. Any jobs in the local queue are sent via LPR to the MFD35, for example. This output scenario does not require the Pharoscentral server 50 for completion. In the event of loss of the Pharoscentral server connection, the jobs would appear as available for printand be output normally.

Turning now additionally to FIG. 6, in the illustrated example a usersends a job for output from one locale and retrieves it at another. Thisscenario exercises the Pharos central server 50 in a query to find ifthe user has current jobs in queue and, if so, on what server(s). Thisinformation is sent to the remote server 34 for selection andprospective output to hardcopy. In this scenario, users could stillprint and release local cached remote jobs left on the “Geneva Server”even if the connection is lost with the Pharos central server 50.Additionally, where the “Geneva Server” is configured with the identityof one or more additional print servers, the “Geneva Server” could stillquery those servers directly.

Referring additionally to FIG. 7, another exemplary scenario illustratesthe ability of the Pharos Print here system to be bandwidth efficient,prompt in action and scalable in a given network environment. In thepresent example, a mobile user 31 has submitted jobs to print servers 34a, 34 c in two different locales and is asking the system 30 to locateand retrieve them from a third locale. Beyond the traveling example,this scenario may also be useful in a large office or campusenvironment, for example.

It should be noted that in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, is it possiblein some implementations that a user may have more than one PID, i.e., auser may have a respective PID for each of the different networkenvironments (i.e., Zurich, Geneva, etc.). In such case, the centralPharos server 50 may advantageously reconcile the PIDs to allow useraccess to documents, etc., on either network. One way in which this canbe accomplished is by maintaining the PIDs associated with a given userin a centralized database, and thus when the user logs in to one networkwith the PID for that network the central Pharos server 50 canautomatically use the corresponding PID for the remote network the userwishes to access. If greater security is desired, the central Pharosserver 50 may equate the user PID from one network with that of anothernetwork, but require the user to also provide the proper PID and/orpassword, etc. for the remote network to access documents or otherinformation stored thereon. Other approaches for reconciling differentPIDs for a same user similar to those described above may also be used,as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Turning now additionally to FIGS. 8-10 and schematic screen prints 80,90, 100 respectively shown therein, usability aspects of the Print heresystem are now described. To use the Print here function, a user willfirst print his document to the Print here queue. Then he will go to theMFD 35 of his choice and press the Print here button (FIG. 8) on anassociated user interface (for example, an interface integral with theMFD). The Print here application will perform the smart cardauthentication described above. After the user is authenticated, theuser is shown a list of his print jobs (FIG. 9). The user can select anynumber of available documents/jobs and either print or delete them. Theapplication can be configured to confirm the user's request, if desired.If the user confirms that he wants to print the document(s), thedocument(s) will begin printing on the MFD 35 and optionally be removedfrom the Print here server. If the user confirms that he wants to deleteone or more documents, the document(s) will also be removed from thePrint here server. Detailed authentication flow charts for Print hereMFD-based CRL list authentication and active directory authenticationprocesses are respectively provided in FIGS. 11 and 12.

To provide additional security, selected network printers may be taggedas secure release printers. For example, these may be printers having aPharos OMEGA unit attached thereto, or that have an on-board orinterface feature/hardware for the end user authentication, and also toselect the print job from a list or where the print job has been markedto be released when sent to this printer. The print jobs can be held ormanaged from a number of locations, for instance the print server printqueue, from a directory or storage location held on the localcomputer/workstation, on a server or the computer where the print jobwas created, or from any other computers or computer in communicationwith the network. The Pharos collectors (or single collector) may trackinformation about the print file, including specific information aboutwho created the print file, when the print file was created, where theprint file is held and can be accessed, under what conditions the printfile can be collected or a request given to forward the print file to aparticular location or printer, as well as the attributes of the printjob which again may include output options, number of pages and colorcontent, etc.

The originator of the print job (i.e., the user creating the print job)can provide the release options for the particular print job at his/herwork station, remotely from other peripheral devices with access to thenetwork, from a server, and/or the print job can assume “default”release options that are determined by an administrator from anadministrator application where rules or actions are described for therelease of the print job. One example is that a print job may designatedfor a specific purpose of moving the print file or releasing the printfile to an output device for the output device to perform a particularfunction specific to that device, e.g., printing, storage, file archivesetc. Where the user requesting access to the print file must beauthenticated (e.g., security token, PIN, etc.), the authentication of athird person (e.g., an administrator or security officer) may optionallybe required before a particular print job is released. The access rulesmay be advantageously change or be adapted over time, or operatedifferently during different time periods. For example, a second personmay not be required for a print job to be released between certain hoursof the day, on certain days, or before a specified date, etc.

The system 30 may also track who has gained access to a particular printjob and what action was taken, e.g., file was printed, etc. Moreover,print jobs may be encrypted at the time of creation and decrypted whendelivered to the output device, for example, as noted above.

In accordance with another advantageous aspect, a software applicationmay reside on a local computer that monitors all the print queues on aplurality of print servers 34. The software application may be centrallyconfigured to show certain information about the print queues, printservers 34 and print server queues. For example, this information canextend to all print jobs, or only those print jobs released by the givenuser at the local computer. The filtered information can be determinedby an administrator or the local user, where the local user willpreferably only be able to access a subset of the available informationto a user with administration rights (i.e., the administrator(s)).

A user 31 or administrator may determine what can be done to the jobsheld in the print queues, on a print server 34, or in other repositorysystems, which may extend from an explicit data base managementapplication down to a simple file administration system. For example, auser 31 may choose to delete his print jobs or release them forprinting. A user 31 or administrator may also elect to change certainaspects of the print job, e.g., change the output from color to blackand white or the finishing option from simplex to duplex, etc. Thesoftware application may make available to the user or administratorinformation about the chosen or default finishing option of the printjob, and the user/administrator may view the final output of the printjob and make changes to this print job. The software application mayalso have server components or peer-to-peer communication to others ofthe same or similar applications that may communicate the same orsimilar application information about the print job and where thisinformation may be expanded upon or limited. For example, this mayinclude filtering, depending on the user requesting the information, theclassification of the individual (e.g., the department he/she works in),and the security level of the user seeking the given information.

A user or administrator may also determine what printer/MFD the printjob can be released to, and what the finishing will be for the print jobfor a particular printer or group of printers. These options may changeby user, user permission, printers, copiers, or other output devices,time of day, occasion or any other events, for example. For instance, auser may select certain print jobs for release at a printer ormultifunction device or other output devices from this application, andthe user presents his/her identification data using a proximity readerto initiate printing. A typical scenario would be a proximity readercoupled to an MFD 35, and a user presents his/her personalidentification token (e.g., personal area network (PAN) device, smartcard, etc.) at the reader associated with the output device, and allprint jobs the user tagged for release will be sent to that outputdevice. The user may optionally be provided with the opportunity toselect which jobs from the pending list to print, rather thanautomatically print all of the pending jobs.

Yet another example is where the user tags, from the local application,select print jobs for release in select time frames only, or by timeframes and select printers. For example, a user may tag a print job heldin a file system that will be sent to a printer that has duplex outputcapability, and only if the request is made between the hours of 3 pmand 4 pm. However, other jobs may be released under the same conditionsbut at any time after 5 pm if the user identifies himself as beingphysically present at the output device or printer. The physicaldetermination can be made by the user applying his/hersecurity/identification token, PIN, etc., as discussed further above.

The identification device will typically be positioned on or in closeproximity to the output device or printer. The output device isassociated with the identification device, and this association can bedetermined in various ways. For example, a wireless “fingerprint” orsignature signal of the identification device can be coupled, associatedor otherwise matched with that of the output device. Moreover, thedevices may be located by various approaches using hardwiredconnections, radio frequency (RF) and/or infrared (IR) connections,wireless networks (802.11x, Bluetooth, etc.) links, satellitepositioning signals (e.g., GPS, etc.), cellular telephone links, etc.

By way of example, a user could release a job from his/her localcomputer 32 to a repository or a print queue on the Web/Internet. Theuser may tag (running the application on the local computer or over theWeb/Internet, for example) select print jobs so that these print jobsare forwarded to a printer or other output device at a location thatwill be visited by the user or other users who are given rights orpermission to gain access to this print job. For example, a user who hasdelivered a print job to the Web repository may send a code to a friendwho can then visit a store, copy services center, etc., and print thedocument.

Moreover, the user (or other designated person) could use his/her cellphone, PDA, or other electronic device as a user interface to releasethe print job at the printer through an email/text message interface,Web browser, etc. For example, the user could log onto the Webrepository, select a pending print job, and then designate alternateusers that have permission to print the job (which could be done by userIDs, etc.). Numerous types of documents and data can be printed in thisway, including text documents, PUF files, image files (i.e., pictures),subscription data (e.g., electronic newspapers, books, articles, etc.).Another option is that users can exchange a coder an electronic securitytoken, etc., by email, wireless link between handheld devices (e.g.,Bluetooth link, etc.), etc., that provides access to print a givendocument.

In accordance with another example, once a user has submitted a printjob to the Web repository, the user could use his/her cell phone torelease the print job to a friend's printer at the friend's home (orelsewhere). Furthermore, a guest at a hotel could use his/her cell phoneor other electronic device to forward tagged (or untagged) print jobsfrom a remote computer connected to the Web/Internet, a print server,etc., to a hotel printer. The hotel could also charge the quest for theprinter usage. In this scenario, the system has knowledge of the user,the user print job, the print jobs output requirements, the hotel'sprinter output capability, the hotel printer location, etc. Furthermore,it can place into the hotel system knowledge of the print transactionfor the purposes of charging the hotel guest, visitor or casual passerby who wishes to use the printer. In this scenario, a user may be ableto gain access to a map or listing of all printers at the hotel (or inanother type of business/facility) through the Web/Internet, and selectthe desired device for printing.

Additionally, the present invention is not necessarily limited to printjobs generated by computers/workstations 32. For instance, print jobscan also be generated based on received facsimiles or emails. In afurther example, emails and their respective attachments are received byan email server 42 associated with the print management system 30. Inaddition to communicating the emails and attachments tocomputers/workstations, handheld devices (such as PDAs and cellphones)and other devices, the emails and/or attachments are stored at adesignated location with identifying information, such as sender andrecipient names and email contents.

When a user accesses a user interface at a printing station, the user isallowed to view a list of emails and/or attachments with identifyinginformation and can select one or more emails and/or attachments forprinting. Upon selection, the printing station 35 retrieves the emailsand/or attachments from the designated location for printing. A similaroperation can also be performed with facsimiles or with documents fromother sources.

Also, one or more designated Print here email addresses can beestablished and associated with respective users or groups of users 31.Emails sent to such as addresses and/or their attachments are stored atthe designated location and can be retrieved for printing at printstations 35 accessed by the associated users 31. Permissions can beattached to the emails and/or attachments such that some users 31associated with a given Print here email address may not be able toprint all emails and/or attachments, for example, if desired.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A print management system comprising: atleast one client device for generating print jobs associated with aplurality of users; a plurality of print servers for storing print jobinformation based upon the generated print jobs, wherein print jobinformation for at least one selected user stored on different printservers has different user identifications (IDs) associated therewith,and wherein said print servers cooperate to reconcile the different userIDs to share the print job information therebetween; and at least oneprinting station for retrieving the shared print job information for theat least one selected user, and selectively printing print jobs basedthereon.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of print serverscomprise at least one central server for coordinating sharing of printjob information between the plurality of print servers.
 3. The system ofclaim 1 further comprising a user interface; and wherein said at leastprinting station retrieves the shared print job information based uponuser input received by said user interface.
 4. The system of claim 3wherein said user interface comprises a display for displaying a list ofprint jobs for user selection.
 5. The system of claim 1 furthercomprising a plurality of local area networks (LANs); and wherein saidprint servers are associated with respective LANs.
 6. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said at least one printing station comprises a pluralityof printing stations associated with respective print servers.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein said at least one printing station comprises amulti-function device (MFD).
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein at leastone of said print servers generates print jobs from electronic mail(email) attachments forwarded thereto by said at least one clientdevice.
 9. A print management system comprising: a plurality of localarea networks (LANs); at plurality of client devices associated withrespective LANs for generating print jobs associated with a plurality ofusers; a plurality, of print servers associated with respective LANs forstoring print job information based upon the generated print jobs,wherein print job information for at least one selected user stored ondifferent print servers has different user identifications (IDs)associated therewith, and wherein said print servers cooperate to sharethe print job information therebetween; at least one printing stationassociated with respective LANs for retrieving the shared print jobinformation for the at least one selected user, and selectively printingprint jobs based thereon; and a user interface associated with at leastone printing station; wherein said at least printing station retrievesthe shared print job information based upon user input received by saiduser interface.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of printservers comprise at least one central server for coordinating sharing ofprint job information between the plurality of print servers.
 11. Thesystem of claim 9 wherein at least one of said print servers generatesprint jobs from electronic mail (email) attachments forwarded thereto bysaid at least one client device.
 12. A print management methodcomprising: generating a plurality of print jobs associated with aplurality of users; storing print job information based upon thegenerated print jobs on at least one of a plurality of print servers,wherein print job information for at least one selected user stored ondifferent print servers has different user identifications (IDs)associated therewith; reconciling the different user IDs to share theprint job information between the plurality of servers; communicatingthe print job information for the at least one selected user to at leastone printing station; and selectively printing print jobs based on thecommunicated print job information.
 13. The method of claim 12 whereingenerating comprises generating print jobs using at least one of theprint servers from email attachments forwarded thereto by the at leastone client device.